Celebrity Life

Four of the Maison's most emblematic horological creations, now reimagined as kaleidoscopic limited editions fueled by the "authentic aesthetic culture" of electronic music.

Capsule collections are nothing new in the business of fashion, but if anyone is sufficiently equipped to translate the excitement and fleetingness of those limited releases to the world of horology, Chanel is surely top of the pops. This month, the house that Gabrielle built is unveiling its newest array of timepieces, inspired by the sights, sounds, and all-encompassing energy of electronic music in the 1990s.

"I conceived this capsule as if it were a performance program," says Arnaud Chastaingt, Director of Chanel's Watchmaking Creation Studio, "inviting our classics, the Première, J12, Boy•Friend, and Code Coco, to perform side by side". In practical terms, the 'Electro' timepieces thereby invoke the sensation of descending into warehouses, clubs, and dancehalls on the precipice of the new millenium; contrasting the nocturnal blackness symbolic of those locations against the illumination resulting from light and colour. We cycle through each of the new Chanel Electro releases below:

J12 Electro

A mainstay of Chanel's watchmaking stable (and winner of the coveted Ladies' Watch Prize at the GPHG in 2019) the new J12 'Electro' consists of two limited editions: one, larger and mechanical; the other, smaller and quartz-powered. In the style of their splashier, baguette-set cousins these new Electros are decorated with a 'rainbow' of neon-coloured indexes -- perfect for late nights spent in subterranean techno bunkers. Both editions available in a run of 1,255 pieces.

The Chanel J12 Electro is now available in two limited editions, with self-winding Calibre 12.1 movement in 38mm (HK$66,900) or quartz 33mm (HK$51,300). To learn more, visit Chanel online.

Première Electro

Popular among the glitterati set thanks to its sinuous chain bracelet, the Première is reimagined in this electronica-themed capsule with leather links aping the vibrant, fluorescent colours of a laser lightshow. The bracelet itself is fashioned from stainless steel (treated with a shimmering black ADLC finish) while the whole ensemble is more than capable of taking a poolside splash thanks to 30 metres of in-built water resistance.

The Chanel Première Electro is now available in a limited edition of 555 pieces, priced at HK$52,600. To learn more, visit Chanel online.

Boy•friend Electro

Easily the priciest model in the new collection, the Boy•friend does for 'Electro' what Daft Punk did for French house in the 90s -- bringing a touch of the robotic to the party. The collection's androgynous, geometric case shape makes a welcome return but is augmented in this case with a whimsical robot motif, assembled from 78 brilliant-cut diamonds. Consider this a mandatory part of your inventory whenever popping and locking.

The Chanel Boy•friend Electro is now available in a limited edition of 55 pieces, priced at HK$130,200. To learn more, visit Chanel online.

Code Coco Electro

One of Chastaingt's newer, more unconventional designs, the Code Coco exists in a phantom zone somewhere between fashion and haute horlogerie. Not quite a watch nor a straightforward piece of jewellery, the Code Coco Electro pairs a quilted leather cufflet -- immediately eye-catching, thanks to its neon-pink do -- with two lacquered black dials. Rather perfunctorily, one of these tells the time; while the other is set with a single princess-cut diamond -- the punctuation point to any rave-ready outfit.

The Code Coco Electro is now available in a limited edition of 255 pieces, priced at HK$55,300. To learn more, visit Chanel online.

The post Give Your Wrist a Jolt With the New Chanel Electro Watchmaking Capsule appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

There’s no doubt Alex Lam inherited his musical talent from his parents, his father being Cantopop legend George Lam Chi-Cheung, and his mother, Sally Yeh. Still, the singer-songwriter and actor hasn’t let privilege get to his head — he’s not afraid to explore other paths, from a stint in Los Angeles to discover yoga and becoming a yoga teacher, to dipping his toes in fashion.

Lam met Hiro Yoshikawa, founder and designer of Washi Jeans, a Japanese denim brand, a couple years back and was intrigued by the designer’s backstory. Now based in Hong Kong, Yoshikawa is the 18^th generation of a revered sake maker in Okayama, Japan, and the first to leave the family business to pursue his own passion in denim-making. By chance, Yoshikawa had found an old document that charted out his family’s history, written on washi paper. Inspired by this, he developed and patented the Washi No. 6 paper yarn, which he utilizes in his first solo collection launching this month.

Lam, who has always had an eye for detail, quickly became an ambassador and muse for Yoshikawa, and took it upon himself to bring the recognition Yoshikawa deserves by helping him stage his upcoming solo debut.

We sit down with Alex Lam and Hiro Yoshikawa at Washi Jean's studio to talk about style and the upcoming debut of Yoshikawa's solo collection Life on Earth.

Can you describe your style? What are your wardrobe essentials?

AL: My style has always been inspired by musicians. I grew up watching some of my favourite bands like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and today, I'm inspired by singers like Drake. For me, my summer essentials include a sleeveless vest, a good multi-functional blazer and a pair of high-quality designer jeans.

Have you always been passionate about fashion and did you want to work in fashion?

AL: I have always cared about how I look and my outfits since I was a kid. I remember there was one time when the collar of my t-shirt wasn't right and I wouldn’t wear it out until my parents fixed it for me. Having friends who are in the fashion industry allows me to execute and experiment my ideas during workshops, like the ‘marshmallow’ colourway of the t-shirt I’m wearing right now. 

How did the both of you meet?

AL: I met Hiro-san thought some of our mutual friends.

HY: have been making jeans for other brands for the past 30 years and it has always been my dream to have my own denim brand. I have always hung out with people from the fashion industry, and meeting Alex from the music and acting world has made my life more fun and exciting.

Can you tell us a bit about your project with Hiro-san?

AL: I was hanging out with a group of producers and we often talk about fashion shows, designer brands’ videos, installation art and music. Once we found out Hiro-san wanted to launch his own denim brand this year, we decided to catch this opportunity and put our ideas together. We are organising a VIP launch event with a fashion show on June 11, 2021.

What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome with this project?

AL: I think the rules of the game changed after Covid started last year. We looked at online fashion shows last year, without the tradition styles, and we knew our team needed to do it in a cleverer way. The restriction for event gathering is 30 persons at the moment, so we were not able to invite too many friends and make the event as big as before. Plus the campaign and fashion show video shoot all in one day, that’s the biggest challenge in this project.

HY:  We have been staying in our studio almost every day is the past few months, meeting different parties like our PR team, models, videographers and producers.

What else are you up to this year that you can share with us?

AL: I have released a new song and I just finished a music video for another song. I have also been working on my YouTube channel and created a few series, but it’s been slightly slowed down because I was focusing in this project.

Has the pandemic affected the way you work or changed your priorities?

AL: Before Covid, I was busy working with clients, who often prepared everything. With changes and restrictions during this period, I am able to organise and create more content by myself.

What are you currently inspired by?

AL: There are many indie musicians and young kids out there who are doing their music in their unique styles. I admire them a lot as they can release songs as long as they think it sounds good. I used think good music requires the best studio and recording equipment, but turned out a lot of indie musicians are producing high quality songs just by working at home.

You have a YouTube channel, you're into fashion, music as well as classic cars. How did you get into each of those passions and how do you balance it all?

AL: Project by project. I’m now focusing more on quantity over quality and I'll keep learning from the progress and mistakes.

Do you have a motto you live by?

Stay healthy. As I was a yoga teacher, I still practice yoga for two to three hours each day. It’s a good way to reflect on myself and find peace.

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